Sacked oil workers burn letters

Dozens of sacked contractors from Lindsey Refinery in north Lincolnshire have burnt their letters of dismissal in a defiant show of strength. Scores of protesters queued to throw the letters into a blazing dustbin to cheers from a crowd of around 300 colleagues. Just under 600 contract staff working on a major construction project at the refinery were sacked last week by firms working for the French oil company Total, which runs the refinery. The employers took the action in response to more than a week of wildcat strikes over a dispute about jobs at the site. The sacked men were told they have until 5pm today to reapply for their posts. Total said it was "encouraged" by the amount of feedback it had had from the workers involved. But a succession of speakers at a mass meeting of the demonstrators said they did not believe the company and said the men were standing firm. Phil Whitehurst, of the GMB union, told the crowd: "Let them show us how many want to go back in there crawling on their bellies for their jobs. We go out together, we go back together."

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ITN | June 22, 2009

Tags:. .gmb. .reapply. .whitehurst. .dustbin. .queued